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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · file · coach · face · field · pop · bound · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bound — certain
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. field — farmland
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a tool
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pop — soda
  15. bound — obliged
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com